The Short Life of Sparrows Review

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Short Life of Sparrows by Emm Cole
Narrator: Pamela Lorence
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on September 30th 2014
Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
Genres: Coming of Age, Paranormal
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads

The Nightbloods and Seers have many buried secrets, and some of them are deadly. Beneath the light of a full moon, the coven is dancing. They are dancing as they await another Awakening, a dream that defines every witch's destiny. It doesn't matter that the coven is cheering and anticipating her turn into womanhood, because Calli doesn't want any of it. She doesn't want to see the face of the hired hand Isaiah, nor does she desire the pursuits of a very determined Nightblood as she runs from a future with the Ordinary help. She knows that regardless of whether she taps into forbidden magic or not, an Awakening is rumored to hold ultimate power over the Seer who dreams it. While the other Seers her age are given to their parties, their enchantments, and the lust of Nightblood suitors, Calli must choose how she'll endure the worst of her visions. There may be a way to survive her sleep, but she's not sure she can defeat the truth that will find her when she's wide awake. Does real love even stand a chance against the darkest of magic?

 Julie’s Review:

The Short Life of Sparrows is beautifully written and is a breath of fresh air in the coming-of-age paranormal genre. I’m gonna list this out, because lists. Love the lists.

Things I loved about The Short Life of Sparrows:

1. How this book has a dual narration, but the narrators are not the couple. They both have their own coming of age and love story.
2. How the romance between our heroine and the boy was slow; how they infuriated each other with their antics, but eventually came to admit their feelings and had to change their impressions of themselves and each other.
3. The friendship between our two narrators, and how they told each other all their secrets even though they only just met earlier that summer.
4. The surprises that were revealed in the latter part of the book. Some of these I really didn’t see coming, and I enjoy a good twist or bombshell.
5. How this story shows that people’s nature is what it is, and it cannot be changed. That you cannot change your destiny, even if other people meddle and manipulate your perceptions.
6. The tragic beauty of the melancholy ending. The book has a HEA for our main couple, and yet, it comes on the heels of a tragedy I was not expecting, which cut deep.
7. The book was beautifully written and very well narrated.

 

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